Safety stop attachment for fullfashioned hosiery machines



Feb. 12, 1952 T. H. DECKER 2,585,633

g SAFETY STOP ATTACHMENT FOR FULL-FASHONED HOSIERY MACHINES Filed April 22, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l T. H. DECKER Feb. 12, 1952 SAFETY STOP ATTACHMENT FOR FULL-FASHIONED HOSIERY MACHINES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 22, 1949 JNVENTOR. 4757/# ec/ref' BY ATTORNFYJ Patented Feb. 12, T9-S SAFETY STOP ATTACHMENT FOR FULL- FASHIONED HOSIERY MACHINES Troy H. Decker, Hildebran, N. C., assignor of onel *half to Alexander B. Vinay, Valdese, N. C.

-Application April 22, 1949, Serial No. 88,974

' 10 Claims. 1 4

This invention relates to a safety device for a. full-fashioned hosiery machine, and more particularly to a switch-actuating device for stopping the machine when the slur cock bar; andv friction bar are accidentally caused tomove separately out of phase. -A

It is an object of this invention `to provide a safety stop attachment of the kind toi bemore particularly described hereinafter, particularly designed for a full-fashioned hosiery machine of the type represented by the Karl Lieberknecht Full Fashion Hosiery Machine No. 2096- With Kallo Automatic Welt Turner.

In the narrowing of the main part of the leg of the hosiery being formed by the machine, when the machines narrows, the two coulier cams are stopped by means of abrake land both gears for driving the coulier cams fromthe main cam shaft are caused to be shifted out of gear from the main cam shaft. These gears stay out of Agear while the main cam shaft makes a complete turn, at which time clutch means cause positive engagement with the main cam shaftand the cams continue in normal operation. If either lcoulier cam gear is not properly re-engaged withlthe cam shaft, that particular, cam will not operate for a complete cycle of operation of the machine,V

at which time it will operate reversely of the other cam causing much damage to the sinkers, dividers and needles. With the use of a stop device constructed according to the teachings of this invention, when one of the.. cams comesvout of the designed specific timed relation between the cams, the machine is immediately and automatically stopped until properly reset, thus preventing any costly -damage of this kind with its resultant loss in time and operation of the machine.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more par,- ticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and l-a are a continuous rear eleval tion, partly broken away, of a full-fashioned hosiery machine, having a stop -mechanism constructed according to an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure `l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation, partly broken away, of the lever arm shown in Figure 3. v

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I6 designates generally a full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine having a separately-driven friction bar II and a slur or slur cock bar I2. The knitting machine IIJ is formed with a basic frame having end members I4 and longitudinally-extending frame members I5 and I6.

The friction bar II is oscillated on` the frame of the machine I0 by a coulier mechanism which includes a coulier cam II and a rock lever I8 connected at its upper free end to the friction bar. The lower end of the friction-bar-actuating lever I8 is pivotally mounted on the lower frame member I6. The cam I'I is rotatably mounted on a supporting member I9 carried by the frame IE and is engaged by a cam-following member 20 which is pivotally connected to the frictionbar-actuating lever I8 intermediate the length thereof.

The slur bar I2 is oscillated on the frame by a separate coulier mechanism which includes a slur-bar-actuating lever 2| pivoted at its upper end on the slur bar I2 and at its lower end on a tting 22 carried bythe lower frame member I 6. A coulier cam 24 is rotatably mounted on a supporting member 25 also fixed on the frame member I6, the cam 24 being engaged by a cam-following member 26 which is pivotally connected at one end to the slur-bar-actuating ,lever 2I intermediate the length thereof. The operating means for the friction bar II and slur bar I2 are clearly shown in Figure la of the drawings.

In this type of full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine, the coulier cams I'I and 24 are adapted tov be driven by conventional driving means from a common, main cam shaft. A mainv cam shaft extends along the length of the machine I0, and,

when the machine narrows in the narrowing of the main part ofV the leg of the hosiery tovbe knitted, the cams I'I and 24 are stopped by means of a brake, and the driving means for both of the cams are shifted out of gear from engagement with the main cam shaft. The main cam shaft and the driving or gear means by which the same are connected to the main shaft are not shown in the drawings, such structure being conventional in this type of machine. l

When the machine has completed the nar-` rowed portion of the leg of the hosiery, the driv ing meansfor the cams I'I and 24 are ice-engaged with the main cam shaft to actuate the cams I and 24, and frequently at this time one of the gear mechanisms will not properly engage the main cam shaft and at such time the cams I 1 `and 24 will be caused to be actuated in an out-ofphase relation. In the normal operation of the cams I 1 and 24, that is, in the in-phase relation, both of the cams I1 and 24 are rotated in the same angular relation to effect the simultaneous reciprocation or oscillation of the slur bar I2 and friction bar I I. During the narrowing of the leg of the hosiery, the driving means for the cams I1 and 24 are in and out of engagement with the main cam shaft about a hundred times.y When the driving means for the coulier cams 24 and I1 are engaged with the main drive shaft, in .an outof-phase relationship, the friction bar II and slur bar I2 are actuated in opposite directions, and such movement causesv the heavy damage 11,0, the sinkers, dividers and needles of the machine. The automatic machinestopping device of this invention is particularly designed for stopping the machine when the driving means for the cams I'l and 24 are not engaged'with-the main drive shaft inthe proper timed relation forl effecting the simultaneous oscillation of the friction bar and slur bar. Y

The main cam shaft, not shown in the draw-l ings, is operated by an electric motor, which, in turn, is controlled by a main control switch 21 placed on the lower frameV member. I5. The switch 21 is formed. with a contactecontrolling plunger 28 reciprocable therein for opening and closing the circuit toA the electrical power means for the knitting machine. In the normal position of the plunger r28the extended position, the contacts within the switch 21 are closed, whereas, with the plunger 28 within the switch 21, the contacts are open for breaking .the circuit to the driving means for the. knitting machineY I0.

Switch actuating means are provided' comprising a pair of brackets or hangers 29 and 30 which are xed to the upper frame member Iv on the lower side thereof and extended downwardly therefrom. A bearing 3I is xed to or formedon the forwardly-extending arms 32 of the hangers.

29 and 30 and an elongated pivot member or pivot. bar 34 is journaled in the bearings 3l. AThe pivot member 34 extends along the length of themachine I parallel to the parallel bars II andv I2- and is of a length substantially equal to the length of travel of the bars II and I2 effected by.

the normal operation thereof. A depending lever.

arm 35'is xed to the pivot bar 34 intermediate. the length thereof between the hangers 29 and 30, and is adapted to engage the switch button'V or arm 28 for breaking the circuit to the electric. motor, not shown in the drawings, whichdrives the main cam shaft. A spring lever arm 36 is fixed on the pivot member 34 adjacent oneend thereof and extends upwardly therefrom. Af

spring 31 is engaged between the extreme upper. end of the spring lever arm 36 and a fixed part of the frame or bracket from which the hanger` 30 depends for constantly biasing the switch actuating lever arm 35 is in the position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the lower endof the lever arm.. 35 being in its 'outermost position inV relation to the switch 21', so that the plunger 23 is fully extended from the switch and the contacts'within the switch are closed for completing! the electrical circuit. In' this form of the invention, the lever-supporting brackets 29l and 30 are engaged` over the jack spring bear-ings, the

hangers 29 and 30 replacing the plate which normally closes the jack spring bearings 38.

A pair of lever arms 39 and 40 are xed on the pivot bar 34 adjacent the opposite ends thereof and extend upwardly therefrom. The lever arms movementv of the bars II and l2 are connected to one o f said bars and are illustrated as being secured to the friction bar II and comprising a pivot or lever supporting bracket 42 which is secured along the length of the friction bar I I and extends forwardly from.l one side thereof. The lever-supporting bracket 42 is substantially L-shaped in configuration, being inverted'fhaving a substantially horizontally-extending arm 44 which is adapted to be engaged on the vfriction bar by: set screws 45, or other suitable fastening devices. The bracket 42 is further formed with a depending, recessed, vertically-extendingarm 45 within which an L-shaped lever or rack arm 41 is pivotally engaged. The lever 41 is pivoted at the upper endof its vertically-extend-` ing arm 48 by a pivot pin 49 which is extended across between the side arms of the vertically--v extending, recessed arm 46 of the bracket 42.` A set screw 43 is threadably engaged through the rear side of the vertically-extending arm 45 of the bracket 42 and is adapted to engage the inner side of the lever 41v for limiting theinwara swinging movement of the lever. The lower, ine wardly-extending arm 50 of the lever 41V extends inwardly for engagement with the slurbar I2.. In the normal position of the cams I1 and 24, with the friction bar II and slur barv l2 operating in the desired` manner, the lever 41 will lieY close within the recess of arm 45 ofthe bracket 42 and a spring-pressed pin 5I will abut one side edge of the vertical arm 48 of the lever 41. The spring pin EL is carried by a spring 52 which is. fixedy on one side of the vertical arm 46y of the` bracket 42. Upon swinging movement of the: lever 41 outwardly in relation to the bracketr42, the pin 5I will be spring-pressed inwardly within the recess of 'ver-tical arm 46 for holding the vertical ar-m 48 ofthe lever 41 against returning to; its normal position before the friction bar. I.I= and slur bary I2- are properly positioned for nor-- mal operation.

A pair of lever actuating or lift members such` as cam members or cams` 54V and 55 areY secured. along the length of the slur bar I2 for engagement with the inwardly-extending arm 50ct the lever 41.` The cam members 54. and 55 aresuba; stantiallyl U shaped in configuration, and adapted' to be engaged about Vthe forward edge. of the slur.y bar I2.A The Vcam members 54 and 55- are slightly.: spaced apart along the length of theV slur bar I2Yand are formed with outwardly-inclined faces 56 and 51, respectively, confronting each other. on the opposite sides of the spaced-.apartopen-.ly ing. between them. The cam members 54. and.V 55 are positioned in such a manner that when the. bars II and I2 are moving in an out-.ofephase relation, the inwardly-extending arm 50 of the.` lever 41 will be caused to bel lifted` by the'cams 54 and 55 for breaking. theicircuit tothe. driving` means for the knitting machine. The' extreme inner end of the horizontally-.extending armrr.-

of the lever 41 is formed with outwardly-inclined faces 58 and 59 which are adapted tofslidingly engage on the confronting cam liftfaces 5,6. and 51.0f the cam members 54 and 55, respectively. In the normal position of the lever 41 in relation to the ycams 54 and 55, the inwardly-extending arm 50 will be positioned between the cams 54 and 55, being spaced apart from each of them. The normal operation of the bars II and I2 will maintainthis relative position between the lever 41 and the cams 54 and 55, the normal operating position being clearlyshown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

A depending pin or lug 69 is fixed on the lower side 'of the inwardly-extending arm 50 of the lever 41 and is adapted to engage the inner edge of the longitudinally-extending lever bar 4I. In the normal operation of the knitting machine I0, the pin 60 will slide along the length of the lever bar 4I, the sliding of the pin 60 being effected by the reciprocating motion of the friction bar Il and slur bar I2.

In the normal operation of the knitting machine IIl the lever 41 will be positioned between the cam members 54 and 55, and the pin 60 will slide along the length of the lever bar 4I on the inner side thereof. When the machine is operating out of phase or starts tooperate out of phase, the friction bar II and slur bar I2 will not be moving simultaneously and therefore the difference in the movement between the bars will effect the positioning of the cam members 54 and 55 in relation to the inwardly-extending arm 5I) of the lever- 41. This disposition of the arm 50 in relation to the cams will effect the lifting or v moving forwardly of the lower arm 50 of the lever 41 and the rocking of the lever about its pivot pin 49. As the lever 41 moves outwardly, the pin 6B will engage the inner surface of the longitudinally-extending lever bar 4I for pivoting the lever arms 39 and 49 about the pivot bar 34. As the lever arms 39 and 40 are moved outwardly, the lever arm 35 will be moved inwardly and press the plunger 28 of the switch 21 within the switch for breaking the electrical circuit to the main driving means. At this time, the brakes on the electric motor which drives the cam members I1 and 24, not shown in the.drawings, will effect the immediate stoppage of ,the machine until such time as the proper relationship between the friction bar II and slur bar I2 can be reset. As the lever 41 is moved outwardly to stop the machine, the pin 5I will be pressed inwardly to hold the lever from returning to its normal position and inadvertently starting the machine. For restarting the machine, the pin 5I must be pulled outwardly against the tension of the spring 52 for positioning the lever 41 in its normal position between the cam members or lift members 54 and 55.

I do not mean to coni-lne myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a fixed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocating bars, independent, in-phase driving means for actuating said reciprocating bars, a main switch for said driving means, a switch-actuating member pivoted on said frame normally urged to switch-closing position, a pair of spaced-apart cam elements on one of said bars, means engageable by said cam elements carried by the other bar and normally disposed between said 6 cam elements for displacement by said caniele ments upon out-of-phase movement Yoi said parallelbars and said means beingl engageable with said switch-actuating member for opening said switch when the bars and driving means-become out of phase.

2. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a fixed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocating bars, independent, in-phase driving means for actuating said reciprocating bars, a main switch for said driving means, switch-actuating means pivoted on said frame including an elongated levez bar parallel to said reciprocating bars and extending along the length of travel thereof. and cooperating members carried by said reciprocating bars operable. when the reciprocating bars become out of phase for actuating said switch to driving-means-stopping position.

3. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a xed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocating bars, independent, in-phase driving means for actuating said reciprocating bars, and a main switch for said driving means, switch-actuating means pivoted on said frame including an elongated lever bar parallel to said reciprocating bars and extending along the length of travel thereof, and cooperating members carried by said reciprocating bars operable when the reciprocating bars become out of phase for actuating said switch to switch-opening position.

4. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a xed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocating bars, independent, in-phase driving means for actuating said reciprocating bars, a main switch for said driving means, cooperating switch-actuating levers carried by said frame and one of said bars, and a lever-actuating member carried by the other bar engageable with one of said switch-actuating levers for actuating said switch to machine-stopping position when said bars become out of phase.

5. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a iixed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocat-` ing bars, independent, in-phase driving means for actuating said reciprocating bars, a main switch for said driving means, cooperating switch-actuating members carried by said frame and one of said bars, and an actuating member carried by the other bar engageable with one of said switch actuating members for actuating said switch to machine-stopping position when said bars become out of phase.

6. A full-fashioned knitting machine having a iixed frame, a pair of parallel, reciprocating bars, in-phase driving means for said reciprocating bars, a main switch for said driving means, and cooperating switch-actuating elements carried by said frame and said bars for actuating said switch to machine-stopping position when said bars become out of phase.

'1. Automatic safety stop mechanism for a straight electric motor driven knitting machine having two parallel members and separate means for reciprocating the members endwise in synchronism during knitting, said mechanism including a switch in circuit with the motor, switch I, actuating means and means carried by one of `fixed frame in spaced parallel relation to said friction bar and said slur bar, a lever arm xedly secured at one endto said Divot member said switch means being engageable by the free end of said lever arm, said pivot, member also having an elongated lever bar fixedly secured in spaced Arelation thereto and along the length of travel ofsaid friction bar and said slur bar, a rock arm pivotally secured at one end to said friction bar and extending past said slur bar, said elongated lever bar being engageable by the free end of said rock arm, lift members on said slur bar engageable with said rock arm upon out-of-phase movement of said friction bar and said slur bar to actuate said elongated lever bar, said pivot member and said lever arm to move said switch means to switch-open, position for stopping4 said machine.

, 9. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a xed frame, the combination of a pair of reciprocating bars reciprocably mounted on said frame in spaced parallel relation to each other. means for reciprocating said reciprocating bars in simultaneous in-phaseA relation to each other including a pair of cam shaft driven coulier cams,

switch means for the machine, an elongated pivot member pivotally mounted on said fixed frame in spaced parallel relation to said reciprocating bars, said pivot member having a lever arm xedly'secured at one end thereto-Q said' switch means being engageable by the free end of said lever arm, said pivot member also having an elongated lever bar xedly secured in spaced relation thereto and extending along the length of travel of said reciprocating bars, said elongated lever bar being engageable by the free end of said rock arm, lift members mounted on the last-V named reciprocating bar and engageable. with said rock arm upon out-of-.phase movement of said reciprocating bars to actuate said elongated lever bar, said pivot member and said lever arm to move said switch means to machine-stopping position.

10. An electric motor driven, full fashioned knitting machine having a xed frame, a pair of parallel reciprocating bars, means for reciprocating said bars endwise in timed relation. a

switch for the motor and cooperating switch ac,- tuating elements carried by said frame and said bars for actuating said switch to machine stopping position when said bars become out of time.

TROY H. DECKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,015,106 Gastrich Sept. 24, 1935 2,067,146 Porter et al Jan. 5, 1937 2,101,048 Ischinger Dec. 7, 1937 2,281,702 Lieberknecht May 5,l 1942 

